Electric tram and rail way.



No. 7l6,4ll. Patented Dec. 23, I902.

B. HACKING. A

ELECTRIC TRAM AND RAILWAY.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1961. Renewed Nov. 22, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UMTTED STATES ATnNT OFFICE.

ROBERT HACKING, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HANCOCK & LEIGHTON,OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC TRAWI AND RAIL WAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716311, dated December23, 1902.

Application filed December 13. 1901. Renewed November 22, 1902. SerialNo. 132,487. (No model.)

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be itknown thatLRoBERr HACKING, modelmaker, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Woodland road, West Bridgeford, Nottingham,England, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinElectricTram and Rail Ways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tram and railways in which one of the mainconductors is in sections insulated from each other and receivingcurrent only when the vehicle is upon them; and it has for its objectmeans wherebycurrent is successively supplied to the sec- I 5 tions bythe passage of the vehicle.

The drawings are diagrammatic views of a portion of a line showing theparts in three different positions.

Figure 4 shows a modification. Figs. 1, 2,

and 3 show four sections of the line marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, which areinsulated from each other at 5.

Between each section is a two-armed rocking switch, preferably inclosedin a box of earthenware or the like. The arm carries three contacts A BO, two, A and B, on one side of the pivot and one, C, on the other,engaging with corresponding contacts a Z) c, fixed in the box. Thecontact A is connected to a supply-main 6, and etc the section of theconductor next before the switch. The contact B is connected to one endof the wind ing of a solenoid or electromagnet d, whose core or armatureD is carried by the switcharm on the other side of the pivot to B, theother end of the winding being connected to the return-main. Thecontacts b are connected to portions of the section 2 3 and 4 next afterthe switches which are insulated at 7 7 from the rest of the sections,the two parts of which are connected together by wires 8. The contact Cis connected to the winding of a second solenoid 6, similar in allrespects to the first, except that it is on the other side of the pivot.The contact 0 is connected to the section of the conductor next beforethe switch. Normally the contacts C c engage with each other, thecircuit through A a and B I) being broken. The vehicle carries a trolleyF, having two contacts or rollers f, whose distance apart is greaterthan the distance between any two sections of the conductor. Thesecontacts are connected together and to the motor F on the car. Thetrolley also has a contact f, connected to the motor and engaging withthe return-main 9.

As the vehicle moves along the line, carrying the trolley with it,current passes through its motor from the section of the conduct-orwhich is receiving current to the return-main. When the trolley comes tothe end of a sectionsay the second section, as shown in Fig. 1it bridgesover the space between it and the next-say the thirdsection, so thatboth sections are now receiving current, the sec- 0nd from the main 6,as hereinafterdescribed, and the third from the second through thetrolley. A circuit is thus closed through the third section, thecontacts a O, (which are still together,) and the solenoid e of theswitch between the third and the fourth sections, causing it to attractits armature E and rock the switch-arm, closing the circuits through A aand B b and breaking the circuit at O 0, thus bringing the parts intothe positions shown in Fig. 1. The third section now, therefore,receives current directly from the supply-main 6 through the contacts Aa, of this switch independently of the connection made by the trolleybetween the second and third sections. As the trolley proceeds it leavesthe second section, and its leading Wheel comes upon the insulatedportion 3 of the third section, as shown at Fig. 2, whereupon a circuitis closed through the third section, the trolley, the insulated portion3 of the third section, contacts I) B, and the solenoid d of the switchbetween the second and third sections, (which is still in the positionshown in Fig. 1,) causing it to attract its ar- 0 mature D and rock theswitch-arm, breaking the circuits at A a and B b and closing the circuitat O 0, thus bringing the parts into the positions shown in Fig. 2.Current is therefore now cutoff from the second section.

If it be desired that the vehicles shall be able to run in eitherdirection, every section of the conductor is provided with two insulatedportions, one at each end, the additional insulated portion 1 of thefirst section being connected to contact I) of the switch between thesecond and third sections, and so on for the portions 2 3, 850.

In order to prevent vehicles colliding with each other, each switch isprovided with a projection G, which when the switch rocks causes acontact-spring H to press against a fourth contact g and close a circuitfrom the negative main 9 to the contact-a in the next section but onebehind or forward. If, therefore, two cars are running, as shown in Fig.3, and the second or latter car gets onto the section next but onebehind the preceding car and closing the circuit from the positive mainto this contact a, the result is a short circuit and-the second car isstopped. This device is more especially adapted to railways, and ifproceeding in the opposite direction the result is the same.

The trolley may have more than two wheels or contacts, as indicated inFig. at.

What I claim'is 1. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, aconductor divided into sections insulated from each other, a second setof conductors each situated in advance of the junctions between thesections, and a switch for each junction supplying when in one positioncurrent to the section of the conductor next behind it and connectingthe conductor of the second set next after it with the returnmainthrough means tending to reverse its position, and when in its otherposition connecting the section of the conductor next behind it with thereturn-main through means tending to put it into its first position.

2. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the j unctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction, a circuit closed by the switch when moved in onedirection, between the positive main and the section of the conductornext before the switch, a second circuit closed by the switch when movedin the same direction,between the second conductor next after the switchand the return-main, a third circuit closed by the switch when moved inthe reverse direction between the section of the conductor next beforethe switch and the section of the conductor next after the switch, andmeans operated by the second and third circuits respectively for movingthe switch in the reverse and first directions.

3. The combination of a supply-main, a re turn-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, switch-arms,three contacts on each switch-arm, a connection between one contact andthe supply: main, connections between the second and third contacts andthe return-main, sets of three contacts with which the switch-contactsengage, connections between the first and third contacts of the lattersets and the section of the conductor, connections between the secondcontacts of the latter sets and the second set of conductors, and meansoperated by the circuits through the second and third contacts formoving the switch in opposite directions.

4:. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction supplying when in one position current to the section ofthe conductor next behind it and connecting the conductor of the secondset next after it with the return-main through means tending to reverseits position, and when in its other position connecting the section ofthe conductor next behind it with the return-main through means tendingto put it into its first position, a third set of conductors one behindeach junction, and connections between these contacts and the nextcontacts but one of the second setin advance of them.

5. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction, a circuit closed by the switch when moved in onedirection, between the positive main and the section of the conductornext before the switch, a second circuit closed by the switch when movedin the same direction, between the second conductor next after theswitch and the return-main, a third circuit closed by the switch whenmoved in the reverse direction between the section of the conductor nextbefore the switch and the section of the conductor next after theswitch,means operated by the second and third circuits respectively formoving the switch in the reverse and first directions, a third set ofconductors one behind each junction, and connections between thesecontacts and the next contacts but one of the second set in'advance ofthem. I

6. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections,switch-arrns,three contacts on each switch-arm, a connection between one contact andthe supply-main, connections between the second and third contacts andthe return-main, sets of three contacts with which the switch-contactsengage, connections between the first and third contacts of the lattersets and the sections of the conductor, connections between the secondcontacts of the latter sets and the second set of conductors, meansoperated by the circuits through the second and third contacts formoving the switch in opposite directions, a third set of conductors onebehind each junction, and connections between these con tacts and thenext contacts but one of the second set in advance of them.

7. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductordividedinto sections insulated from each other, asecond set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction supplying when in one position current to the section ofthe conductor next behind it and connecting the conductor of the secondset next after it with the return-main through means tending to reverseits position, and when in its other position connecting the section ofthe conductor next behind it with the return-main through means tendingto put it into its first position, a fourth set of contacts eachconnected to the first contact of the set next but one from it, andmeans operated by the switch for connecting this contact with thereturn-main.

8. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of cond uctorseach situated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switchfor each junction, a circuit closed by the switch when moved in onedirection, between the positive main and the section of the conductornext before the switch, a second circuit closed by the switch when movedin the same direction, between the second conductor next after theswitch and the return-main, a third circuit closed by the switch whenmoved in the reverse direction between the section of the conductor nextbefore the switch and the section of the conductor next after theswitch, means operated by the second and third circuits respectively formoving the switch in the reverse and first directions, a fourth set ofcontacts each connected to the first contact of the set next but onefrom it, and means operated by the switch for connecting this contactwith the return-main.

9. The combination of a supply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, switch-arms,three contacts on each switch-arm, a connection between one contact andthe supply-main, connections between the second and third contacts andthe return-main, sets of three contacts with which the switch-contactsengage, connections between the first and third contacts of the lattersets and the sections of the conductor, connections between the secondcontacts of the latter sets and the second set of conductors, meansoperated by the circuits through the second and third contacts formoving the switch in opposite directions, a fourth set of contacts eachconnected to the first contact of the set next but one from it, andmeans operated by the switch for connecting this contact with thereturn-main.

10. The combination of a supp1y-main,a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction supplying when in one position current to the section ofthe conductor next be hind it and connecting the conductor of the secondset next after it with the return-main through means tending to reverseits position, and when in its other position connecting the section ofthe conductor next behind it with the return-main through means tendingto put it into its first position, a third set of conductors one behindeach junction, connections between these contacts and the next contactsbut one of the second set in advance of them, a fourth set of contactseach connected to the first contact of the set next but one from it, andmeans operated by the switch for connecting this contact with thereturnmain.

11. The combination of asupply-main, areturn-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, a second set of conductors eachsituated in advance of the junctions between the sections, a switch foreach junction, a circuit closed by the switch when moved in onedirection, between the positive main and the section of the conductornext before the switch, a second circuit closed by the switch when movedin the same direction, between the second conductor next after theswitch and the return-main, a third circuit closed by the switch whenmoved in the ,reverse direction between the section of the conductornext before the switch and the section of the conductor next after theswitch, means operated by the second and third circuits respectively formoving the switch in the reverse and first directions, a third set ofconductors one behind each junction, connections between these contactsand the next contacts but one of the second set in advance of them, afourth set of contacts each connected to the first contact of the setnext but one from it, and means operated by the switch for connectingthis contact with the return-main.

12. The combination of a supply-main, a re turn-main, a conductordivided into sections insulated from each other, a second set ofconductors each situated in advance of the junctions between thesections, switch-arms, three contacts on each switch-arm, a connectionbetween one contact and the supplymain, connections between the secondand third contacts and the return-main, sets of three contacts withwhich the switch-contacts engage, connections between the first andthird contacts of the latter sets and the sections of the conductor,connections between the second contacts of the latter sets and thesecond set of conductors, means operated by the circuits through thesecond and third contacts for moving the switch in opposite directions,a third set of conductors one behind each junction, connections betweenthese contacts and the next contacts but one of the second set inadvance of them, a fourth set of contacts each connected to the firstcontact of the set next but one from it, and means operated by theswitch for connecting this contact with the return-main.

13. The combination ofasnpply-main, a return-main, a conductor dividedinto sections insulated from each other, switches supplying the sectionswith current in turn, a set of contacts, means operated by each switchto tor connecting these contacts with the return-main and a connectionbetween each contact and the section of the conductornext but one behindit.

ROBERT HAOKING. Witnesses:

ALFRED CLARKE, MARK SHAW.

